Olympic Figure Skating 2014: Top Medal Contenders in Ladies' Individual Event
Figure skating has been one of the Olympics' premier events for years, and looking at the performances that we have already witnessed so far in Sochi, it becomes blatantly apparent why.
Tight competitions in the team events, individual pairs, individual men's and ice dancing have produced some of the top storylines in 2014. Now, we are left with the ladies' individual event as the final discipline to take place in this year's Winter Games.
This event features a contingent of the world's strongest skaters. It can be argued that there are many gold-medal contenders in the field, which will set up one of the most dramatic finishes in the 2014 Olympics.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Let's take a quick look at the event's schedule—this is certainly one that shouldn't be missed—followed by a breakdown of the top medal contenders set to take the ice.
Viewing Information
| Short Program | Wednesday, Feb. 19 | 10 a.m. ET | NBC |
| Free Skate | Thursday, Feb. 20 | 10 a.m. ET | NBC |
Disciplines can also be live streamed on NBCOlympics.com.
Top Medal Contenders
Yuna Kim, South Korea
Yuna Kim is the reigning ladies' figure skating Olympic champion, taking home Vancouver's 2010 gold medal with a dazzling performance.
She didn't stop there, as Kim has been continuing to captivate audiences and judges with her flawless routines. She earned the gold medal in the 2013 World Figure Skating Championships in London and another gold in the 2014 South Korean championships.
Needless to say, she is coming to Sochi riding a hot streak.
Dubbed "Queen Yuna," she is poised once again to clinch another gold medal for South Korea. It looks as though she has plenty of confidence heading into the upcoming event, according to an interview with Barry Wilner of the Associated Press via ABC News:
"I don't think these Olympics are special for me like Vancouver was. Those were my first Olympics and I wanted to win them very badly, and I did win them. Now I am experienced in the Olympics. I want to win them just the same, yes, but the experience is not the same. I have learned from the first Olympics, of course. When I went to my first Olympic Games, I experienced all of the pressure and was able to win the gold medal. I try not to feel the pressure and I try not to be nervous when I am on the ice and when I compete.
"
Kim continued, feeling as though her experience gives her an advantage in Sochi, "The Russian girls just went from juniors into seniors and now they have their first Olympic Games, and me, I am in my second Olympics. They are not as experienced at it, but it is fun to be in your first Olympics."
Indeed, Queen Yuna may have an advantage there; however, the younger competitors have already shown their skating prowess in Sochi.
Julia Lipnitskaia, Russia
Julia Lipnitskaia, the 15-year-old Russian phenom, flourished during the team events earlier in the 2014 Olympic Games. She made a quick name for herself during the team ladies' short program, posting a stellar score of 72.90 and topping the field.
Her dominance continued in the team ladies' free skate, as she dazzled once again and posted a segment score of 141.51, once again sitting atop the standings.
After those two performances, she became an instant star.
After watching the near-flawless performances that Lipnitsakia produced, former Olympic figure skating champion Yuka Sato commented on the youngster's abilities during an interview with The Washington Post:
"She definitely has all the elements, but there is more, much more. She is well-trained and they are very strict with her structure. You can see it. She also is fearless. Now she has that confidence and that experience, and that pushes up the momentum.
"
She certainly has plenty of momentum heading into the final figure skating event of the 2014 Olympics. If anyone is going to give Kim a run for her money, it could certainly be Lipnitskaia.
Gracie Gold, United States
The youth movement continues with 18-year-old Gracie Gold of the United States. Gold produced a fantastic performance during the team ladies' free skate in her Olympic debut. She put up a personal-best score of 129.38, finishing second to only Lipnitskaia.
Gold has plenty of confidence in herself going forward—rightfully so—and expects to make a run for the podium, according to an interview with Today's Savannah Guthrie via NBCBayArea.com:
"I think I can give the podium a go, for sure. I know some people say that I'm a dark horse, but I think I'm a little bit lighter in color. I definitely think in singles I have a chance to medal; so do a lot of people. Who is going to leave everything out on the ice? The Olympics is about, 'This is what I have, go ahead and beat it.'
"
That type of confidence can go a long way, as both Olympic newcomers and veterans must shake out the nerves and perform on the world's biggest stage. Gold has the privilege of skating 22nd in the ladies' short program—five spots behind Kim.
This will allow her to see the score to beat before taking the ice. Expect yet another captivating performance from this up-and-coming figure skating phenomenon.
Other Contenders
Mao Asada, Japan
Asada took home the silver medal in Vancouver's 2010 Olympic Games, finishing second to just Yuna Kim. She has been riding a hot streak as well, as she earned the gold medal in the 2013 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships and the 2013-14 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.
Ashley Wagner, United States
Wagner is no stranger to the big stage in Sochi. She finished fourth in the team ladies' short program with a score of 63.10 but is very capable of producing higher numbers. Wagner won the 2012 and 2013 gold medal in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and a gold medal in the 2012 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.
Carolina Kostner, Italy
Kostner is another competitor who can flourish at times. She won gold medals in five of the last eight European Figure Skating Championships and earned another gold medal in the 2012 world championships. If she can get it going early, she will certainly be a name to watch.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
